Places on Earth that Look like Mars

Landscapes of Mars? Some photoshop trick? No, these weird places are real...and a lot closer than they look. On earth, in fact! Take a look at these places on earth that look like Mars and see where they are really located on wall maps.

Rio Tinto, Spain 

The tinted waters of Rio Tinto in Spain give an eerie martian glow. Acidic with a pH of 2 and a deep redish hue, Rio Tinto looks both alien and beautiful. The extreme conditions in the river are analogous to other locations in the solar system thought to contain liquid water, such as subterranean Mars. The Rio Tinto is located in southwestern Spain, originates in the Sierra Morena mountains of Andalusia and flows to the Gulf of Cádiz at Huelva.

Lake Natron, Tanzania

The red coloration in lake Natron occurs as salt-loving microorganisms are colored red and use photosynthesize with red pigmented accessories. See it on a Wall Map of Tanzania!

Yellowstone National Park, USA

The weird colors of Yellowstone National Park are caused by the extremophiles living in very hot water. The landscape of Yellowstone National Park is varied and unusual due to the high concentration of geothermal features including geysers, volcanic activity and earthquakes.

And, finally, see a physical wall map of Mars, with all the physical features we have mapped despite the 50-100 million kilometers of distance between Earth and Mars.

The Oddest, Most Bizarre Maps

"Mapping our world" can mean a multitude of things. From our first map of a schoolyard or home, to maps of our favorite places to dine, maps of places we've traveled, maps play different roles in our lives, from the classroom, in our minds, in vacations and to artwork. Take a look at a few of these strangely bizarre maps. They'd make great decor and conversation starters at least!

Click on the pictures to zoom in on any wall map; take a detailed look at the world from an unusual perspective!

Titanic Navigation Chart Wall Map
Chart the the path the largest ship of it's time took across the Atlantic Ocean! Marine Charts are usually coveted by a very specific set of people, but the legacy and myth surrounding the story of the Titanic's maiden and final voyage makes this an usually popular map!

Muir Glacier Alaska Wall Map
Artistic and minimalist, this map of Alaska shows the Muir Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park. The challenge of mapping a glacier make this bizarre map a work of art.

Upside Down World Wall Map
View the world from a different perspective with this Upside Down World map. After all, there is no "UP" in outer space! This bizarre map shows us how the image of the world "right-side up" is imprinted and ingrained into our minds.

Mars Physical Wall Map
We've barely started exploring space but we can already map out our sister planet Mars. This odd map shows more than it appears to at first glance, just zoom in to see!

Oddities of the Frozen World

As much as maps can help us understand information about geography, science, and nature, there is still much about our world that remains mysterious.  mapsales.com shares some awe-inspiring oddities of the “frozen world”.

Near the planet’s poles and in other cold regions, there are unusual water formations that are sure to take your breath away. 

Greenland

The unbelievably blue river in Greenland is caused by the melting Petermann Glacier.  When the glacier melts, it fills low-lying areas with beautifully blue waters.  The melting and filling patterns change from season to season in expected ways.  The Blue River is a popular destination for kayakers because of its fluctuating flows and its stunning water. 

Iceland

Ice caves like this one are caused by natural processes involving glaciers, melting, and sediments.  But knowing the science behind it doesn’t take away from the ice cave’s majesty.  This particular ice cave is located in Skaftafell, Iceland.  It is a temporary structure that is only accessible through a 22-foot entrance along the shoreline. 

Antarctica

The frozen wave in Antarctica is a structure that needs to be seen to be believed.  Discovered in 2007, it was initially thought that a wave was flash frozen by the sub-zero temperatures and perfectly preserved.  But the presence of blue ice in the wave has led scientists to believe that the structure was actually built slowly over time. 

Southern Ocean

If you watch movies like Titanic, you may assume that all icebergs are blue or clear.  But sailing around the Southern Ocean will give you different idea.  You will find icebergs with yellow, brown, blue, and green stripes in the cold waters around Antarctica.  This phenomenon occurs when the icebergs interact with salt and fresh waters.  Lapped by the waves, and blown by the winds, icebergs can be painted with amazing stripes of different sizes and textures.

More maps of the world!

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